Colorado Overseas Voting Guide
If Colorado is your last U.S. residence, this is where your ballot comes from — no matter what country you live in now, and however long you have been away. The deadlines below are for the November 3, 2026 federal general election.
Colorado deadlines at a glance
Colorado deadlines at a glance
Election Day
Nov 3, 2026
Register to vote
PassedDeadline
Nov 3, 2026
+8 days to arriveSent by Nov 3, 2026.
Request your ballot
PassedNo deadlineReturn your voted ballot
PassedSee the rules ↓Fastest — online
Nov 3, 2026
at 7 PM Colorado time
Online, received by
Latest — post
Nov 3, 2026
+8 days to arriveSent by
These dates and process details come from the Federal Voting Assistance Program's 2026–27 Voting Assistance Guide, the U.S. Department of Defense's official source for Colorado. Deadlines can change after it is published, so confirm anything you are close to with your local election official.
Registering and requesting your ballot
Request your Colorado ballot
One federal form registers you and requests your absentee ballot. Overseas voters file it again every election year, even if you voted last time.
Colorado asks new registrants for the last four digits of your Social Security number or a state-issued ID or driver's license number.
Receiving your ballot
Once Colorado accepts your form, it sends you your ballot. Federal law required states to send ballots to overseas voters by September 19, 2026 for requests already on file. A request made now is sent once it is processed.
Still waiting for your ballot?
Let us know. We track delivery issues and raise them with election officials.
Returning your Colorado ballot
Colorado accepts a voted ballot through its online portal, or by email or fax, as well as by post. Sending it that way skips international mail, which can take several weeks each way. Colorado takes a voted ballot by email or fax only if you chose to receive your ballot electronically and you reasonably determine that a more secure method, such as post, is not available or feasible. Post counts as not feasible when you reasonably believe a posted ballot would not reach your county clerk by the close of business on the eighth day after the election. To send it either way, you must also sign a self-affirmation, returned with your ballot, in which you voluntarily waive your right to a secret ballot.
Return your ballot according to the instructions that came with it — the envelopes, the signature and any witness or ID requirement are set by your state. If anything is missing or you are not sure what they want, your local election official is the person to ask.
5 ways to return it — choose one
State online portal
FastestUpload your voted ballot at Colorado's secure ballot return site, ballotreturn.coloradosos.gov (opens in a new tab): choose your county, then upload every page of your ballot and your signed, dated UOCAVA affidavit.
Online, received by Nov 3, 2026 at 7 PM Colorado time
Scan or photograph your voted ballot and any forms in your packet, and email them to your election office. The address and any cover sheet come with your ballot.
Colorado takes a voted ballot by email or fax only if you chose to receive your ballot electronically and you reasonably determine that a more secure method, such as post, is not available or feasible. Post counts as not feasible when you reasonably believe a posted ballot would not reach your county clerk by the close of business on the eighth day after the election. To send it either way, you must also sign a self-affirmation, returned with your ballot, in which you voluntarily waive your right to a secret ballot.
By email, received by Nov 3, 2026 at 7 PM Colorado time
Fax
Fax your voted ballot and any forms in your packet to your election office. The number comes with your ballot.
Colorado takes a voted ballot by email or fax only if you chose to receive your ballot electronically and you reasonably determine that a more secure method, such as post, is not available or feasible. Post counts as not feasible when you reasonably believe a posted ballot would not reach your county clerk by the close of business on the eighth day after the election. To send it either way, you must also sign a self-affirmation, returned with your ballot, in which you voluntarily waive your right to a secret ballot.
Fax it yourself: a commercial online fax service, such as Dropbox Fax, sends a PDF from your phone or computer.
Emailed your ballot to FVAP in a past election? That service ended in August 2025. Emails to its old address still go through, but nothing is faxed.
By fax, received by Nov 3, 2026 at 7 PM Colorado time
Post
Post your voted ballot in the return envelope from your packet. International postage from your country applies, and delivery takes two to three weeks from most places.
Sent by Nov 3, 2026
It must still arrive within 8 days of Election Day.
By courier — DHL, FedEx or UPS
Faster, costs moreA courier takes a few days instead of a few weeks and gives you tracking. It costs more than international postage, and how much depends on the country you are sending from.
Same deadlines as returning by post:
Sent by Nov 3, 2026
It must still arrive within 8 days of Election Day.
After you send it
- Check it arrived
Colorado's ballot lookup shows whether your voted ballot came back.
Additional resources
The official places to check your ballot, reach the office that handles it, and read the rules in full.
Colorado overseas voting questions
What is the Colorado ballot deadline for overseas voters?
As early as November 3, 2026 at 7 PM Colorado time. Varies by how you send it.
What if my Colorado ballot has not arrived?
If your ballot has not arrived and your deadline is close, the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot is the federal backup ballot. You can fill it in for federal offices and send it now; if your real ballot turns up later, complete and return that too — only one of them is counted. In Colorado, the backup ballot can also register you to vote, though registration deadlines may fall earlier than ballot deadlines.
Can I email or fax my ballot back in Colorado?
Yes. Colorado accepts a voted ballot through its online portal, or by email or fax, as well as by post. Colorado takes a voted ballot by email or fax only if you chose to receive your ballot electronically and you reasonably determine that a more secure method, such as post, is not available or feasible. Post counts as not feasible when you reasonably believe a posted ballot would not reach your county clerk by the close of business on the eighth day after the election. To send it either way, you must also sign a self-affirmation, returned with your ballot, in which you voluntarily waive your right to a secret ballot.
Can I still email my Colorado ballot to fax@fvap.gov?
No. The Federal Voting Assistance Program ended that email-to-fax service in August 2025. Emails to the address still go through without an error, but nothing is faxed to your election office. If you fax, send it to the office yourself: a commercial online fax service, such as Dropbox Fax, sends a PDF from your phone or computer.
When is the Colorado registration deadline for overseas voters?
Sent by November 3, 2026.
How do I check that my Colorado ballot was counted?
Colorado offers an online ballot-status lookup where you can check that your ballot was sent and that your voted ballot came back. Here's the link: Check your Colorado ballot status (opens in a new tab)
Who is my local election official in Colorado?
Your local election official is the county or municipal office that handles registration and ballots for your last U.S. address in Colorado. You can look up their contact details on our election-office finder.
More questions?
Our team answers questions from overseas voters every day. Ask us anything this page did not cover.
Ready to request your Colorado ballot?
One form registers you and requests your ballot.